In 2004 in Łódź, a concert was played of all four prayers from the cycle Life Without Christmas composed by Gia Kancheli between 1990 and 1995 after he left Georgia and moved to Western Europe. The film is not only a recording of the first performance of these works in Poland, but also features an interview with Kancheli about his work, spirituality and life, especially from the perspective of living without Christmas. In a way, the film enhances the musical experience of which the composer says: ‘Regarding the name of the cycle, I would not want Christmas to be interpreted literally as the birth of Christ. I would rather see it as an expectation of change, an expectation of joy, of a feast that has not happened yet’.
The film was made by Mariusz Grzegorzek, rector of the Łódź Film School, who has also created music-themed films about Arvo Pärt, Meredith Monk and Paweł Szymański.